


all the stars arrive on my ceiling

by oh_la_fraise



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 11:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8400139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oh_la_fraise/pseuds/oh_la_fraise
Summary: For the first time in a century, Magnus feels like he’s truly part of a family.  He just can’t believe he had to go and fall in love with a group of Shadowhunters.  
AKA Five times Magnus helps a Shadowhunter, and one time the Shadowhunters help him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Have another self indulgent one shot as I continue not writing the next chapter of Casino Game. Title is from Blood Stutter by Handsome Ghost.

**5\. Izzy.**

Izzy sighs, resigned, and knocks on the door.It swings open, and Magnus’s face shifts from happy to confused.“Isabelle.You’re not the Lightwood I was expecting.Not that I’m not excited to see you.”

“Can I come in?”She feels ridiculous, shifting on her feet in the hallway.

Magnus smiles.“Of course.”

She trudges after him into the foyer.She can see why Alec likes it here—besides Magnus’s presence, of course—the bright walls and rich furniture feel homey and lived in a way the sterile and cold Institute doesn’t.There’s a whiff of lavender in the air, and Chairman Meow, as shy as his owner, twirls around her feet, meowing. 

“Let Izzy be, Meow.”He picks up the cat and drops him gently on the sofa.“Now, my dear.What can the High Warlock of Brooklyn do for the second prettiest Lightwood?”

Izzy looks down, feeling like a child.“How do I be romantic?”Even though she doesn’t meet Magnus’s eyes, she can feel him raise an eyebrow.

“I know about sexiness,” she continues, gesturing down her body.“But. I’ve never loved anyone. . .romantically.I mean, I love Alec and Jace and Max with my whole being, but they're my brothers.I’ve never been . . . _in_ love.I’m sorry, I know this is awkward—I didn’t really feel like I had anyone else to ask. I figured, being around as long as you have, you know what it feels like.”

Magnus is suddenly in her space, placing a hand on her arm.His tone is gentle.“Do you think you’re in love with someone now?”

Izzy thinks of intricate blond braids, bravery and selflessness at an alter, an earnest apology.“I think I want to be.”

“Well then,” Magnus says, “the easiest way to be romantic is to show someone what you appreciate about them.”

She smiles.“I can do that.”

 

**4\. Clary.**

It’s been a month since Jace has been gone.Clary feels every day like a weight dragging her down.

She wakes up early one morning to go to Magnus’s loft to help him with some research.When she steps into the apartment, she can hear clinking from the kitchen.She follows her nose until she sees Magnus flipping pancakes. 

“Ah,” he says, grinning at her.“Biscuits for the Biscuit.”He gestures to where there’s a spread of jams and flaky biscuits on the counter, next to a sparkling pitcher of orange juice and some perfectly crisp bacon. 

“You’re cooking.”

“Nothing gets past you, dear.” 

He’s humming, flipping the pancakes—it’s strange, to see him doing something so complex without magic.Clary’s about to make a comment to that affect when Alec stumbles out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes blearily. 

Alec stares at her, bewildered.There’s a hickey on his neck.

He seems to realize, all at once, that he’s completely naked.He flushes red, and scurries back into the bedroom.

There’s an awkward silence, and then Magnus says, “I wish he and Jace were biologically related, so that we could compare.”

Clary laughs for the first time since Jace was taken.

**  
**

**3\. Max.**

Max sits in the hallway, watching Alec’s door.He knows Magnus is in there, and Max wants to see him.Mommy says Magnus is bad, but Max likes him.Magnus always talks to Max like he’s an adult, and he makes Alec smile.Max gets why Alec likes Magnus; he’s really pretty.Magnus makes Max’stummy feel funny, like there are butterflies flying around. 

Eventually, Alec opens the door.He’s laughing; it’s a nice sound.“Oh my god,” he says, chuckling, “I’ll be _right back._ I’m getting you food; what more do you want?”He heads towards the kitchen, and Max takes his chance, sneaking towards Alec’s room.Max has been practicing his stealth, so no one sees him.The fact that the hallway is empty is besides the point.

Max pokes his head around the door.Magnus is laying in the bed, wrapped in a silky blue robe.He whips his head around to the door; Max thinks he must be seeing things, because Magnus’s eyes almost look like a kitty’s for a minute.But then Magnus is looking at him, and smiling.

“Hey, it’s my favorite Lightwood,” Magnus says. Max’s stomach does that weird flip flopping thing again. 

“I like your nail polish.”It’s blue green, like a mermaid’s tail.Magnus breaks into a wide smile, and it’s really, really pretty, just like his nails.

“Want me to do yours?”

When Alec returns, they’re giggling on Alec’s bed, and Max’s nails are a bright purple.

 

**2\. Lydia.**

To her horror, the anniversary of John’s death sneaks up on Lydia.She’s in the yard one day, laughing and watching Izzy sparkle in the sunshine, when it hits her.It’s been five years.

She doesn’t remember running from Izzy, or how she ends up in hyperventilating in an unused room deep in the Institute.All she knows is that when she looks up, it’s dark outside.

It’s Magnus, of all people, who finds her eventually.She looks up at him, sniffling, and he shrugs.“They were concerned; asked me to track you.I told them I couldn’t find you.”He presses a cup of tea into her hands. 

She sips on the tea slowly.It’s calming and gentle, flavored with honey and cinnamon.She feels some warmth come back into her hands.“Thanks.”

Magnus settles down beside her.She can feel the heat from his body.“It’s cliche for a reason.”

“He died.Five years ago today.”

Magnus hums.“I’m sorry.It’s get easier, if it helps.”

“I almost didn’t realize what day it was. I don’t know how that happened.”

Magnus is quiet for a second.“There was a woman I loved along time ago.Moria.She was older when we met. . .I stayed with her until the very end.I was mad with grief when she passed.I realized a decade ago that I can’t remember what color her eyes were.”

She snorts.“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Maybe. It’s hard to think that you’ll forget the little things. . .but the grief fades too.” 

Magnus pauses. “And eventually you’ll find something to make you happy again.”

Lydia thinks about lilting Spanish accents, dark braids, and compliments whispered in the sunset, and drinks her tea. 

 

**1\. Jace.**

The worst part about fighting demons is the _smell._ Killing one releases a perfume somewhere between sulphur and decaying yogurt. And considering the warehouse they’d been tipped off about had been filled with demons, Jace is pretty sure he’s never going to get the smell out of his jacket. 

They’ve killed so many that he’s stumbling in the ichor spread around the warehouse.They’d had enough of an advanced warning of the nest that they’d recruited help: Luke and his pack, Magnus and Catarina, Raphael and a few vampires from DuMort.Still, it hadn’t taken long for their group to be separated, as helpless as a leaf in a flood against the incoming tide of demons.

Jace has been focusing on working his way towards Clary.As much as she’s a skilled fighter, she just hasn’t been doing this as long as the rest of them, which makes her vulnerable.Plus, they fight well together: it’s not quite the effortless rhythm he and Alec have, but Clary’s natural quick agility is a good match for Jace’s strong but slower fighting style. 

He’s slashing his way towards the flashes of red he sees in the distance when he passes Magnus.For a moment, they team up, fighting back to back; he can see flashes of blue over his shoulder as he slashes his Seraph blade. 

“Is Alec okay?” Mangus pants.Fighting at close range like this, he’s burning through a lot of magic.

Jace knows he would have felt if something had happened to Alec, but he reflexively checks his Parabatai bond anyway.He can feel Alec, annoyed and tired but whole.

The moment of distraction costs him.He sees a demon flying towards him, fangs out.Jace tries to get his Seraph blade up in time. 

  
He’s not going to make it. 

Jace doesn’t close his eyes—a warrior looks death in the face.So when the demon is suddenly a few inches to his left, it takes him a few seconds to realize it’s because Magnus is standing where Jace was just a few seconds ago.Everything after that seems to freeze. 

The demon’s claw, covered in black slime and that awful smell, is embedded in Magnus’s chest.Jace can see the tip of it emerging from Magnus’s back.

“Jace!” Alec screams.He can feel Jace’s horror.Alec can feel something is wrong. 

Magnus collapses, blood gurgling on his lips. 

 

**0.Alec**

Magnus wakes up slowly.He has a few blissful moments of feeling warm and sleepy before he realizes that, oh shit, everything hurts.

He gasps, eyes shooting open.Immediately, there’s a cool washcloth on his head and a gentle hand pushing hi down.“Hey, hey,” Alec soothes.“You’re okay.”

“What. . .what happened?” he pants.Magnus vaguely remembers a raid on a warehouse, but everything is disconcertingly fuzzy. 

“You nearly got yourself killed, is what.If Catarina hadn’t been with us. . .” Alec sounds angry.Flashes of the demon coming at Jace—distracted, checking on Alec for Magnus—rise in his mind. 

“He’s your parabatai, Alec.I couldn’t let him die.”

“You think I want you to die instead?”

“I’ve lived a long, full life.You and Jace are still young.I want to do what’s right for you Alec, and if that means sacrificing myself for your parabatai, then so be it.”Magnus’s head throbs, and he wants to be talking about literally anything else. 

“Jesus, Magnus,” Alec practically hisses. “Do you even hear yourself? You act like you’re not important to anyone. You have to be more careful, because I need you to come home.”

He sighs.“I’m not sorry for saving Jace, but I do understand.And I do know I’m important to you, Alec.It’s just sometimes it takes me a little bit to remember I’m not alone anymore.”

“Good.Because I love you so much.”  
  
“I love you too.”

Magnus is drifting back to sleep when the door to the infirmary opens up.Izzy bursts through, Lydia and Jace and Clary and Max trailing behind her.All of them have their arms full.Izzy smiles.“We heard that you were awake, and now that Alec has chewed you out, we have get well gifts!”

For the first time in a century, Magnus feels like he’s truly part of a family.He just can’t believe he had to go and fall in love with a group of Shadowhunters. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Join me on Tumblr! ](http://ohlafraise.tumblr.com/)


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